Indie Sleaze is the style revival we've been waiting for

WORDS Madeline Kenzie PHOTOGRAPHY Instagram PUBLISHED Tue, 4 Jan 2022 - 3:45 pm

Here at RUSSH, we have a particular affinity for a certain by-gone era of middle aughts fashion. 2004 was a big year for us, including the launch of our inaugural issue. A lot of good came from this time, including the shadow period for "Indie Sleaze". A term that is now being used affectionately to coin post-Y2K style. While 2021 was well versed in the revival of Y2K fashion, including the re-emergence of low rise jeans and miniature bags, this year is being predicted to level up into the next stage of the later aughts style zeitgeist. Consider this the era of the grungy, nonchalance made memorable by the likes of Chloë Sevigny, Alexa Chung and the Olsen's.

As opposed to the overtly sexy looks of the Y2K era, "Indie Sleaze" was focused on the irreverence of alternative fashion. Bedraggled hair, overloaded accessorising and of course kohl liner in abundance. Of course, on the flip side, there was also poker straight strands and smudged out red lips. This period of 2000s fashion saw us slip into a confused dystopia between the two worlds of overdone and underdone. The music and pop culture of the time strongly reflected this with a cacophony of Brit pop and RNB chaos. Designers like Jean Paul Gaultier and Anna Sui made a name for it girls like Alice Dellal and Agyness Deyn when they stomped down the runways in layers of hacked lace and structured petticoat blazers. The aim of course an updated glamorised version of heroin chic.

Today, none of this would be anything without the ripple effect of social media. Sites like Tumblr paved way for a new generation of it girls to take the lead when it comes to the style formerly ruled by digital cameras. The latest Heaven by Marc Jacobs campaigns, for example, featuring that of all the high school bedroom antics you'd imagine featured on the feed of your top friends list on Myspace. Modern sad girl idol Olivia Rodrigo even wore a custom creation to the 2021 VMA's. The styles formerly reserved for heavy nights at the grungy underground club have doubled back to us once again, and so, we've put together a few of our favourites that will be hitting us this year.